


I Think I Like Camping Now

by TransAlex23



Series: Phan One Shots [1]
Category: Dil - Fandom, Phan, dan and phil
Genre: Camping, Cute Dan Howell/Phil Lester, Fluff, M/M, One Shot, Phan Fluff, literally just fluff, phan one shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-08
Updated: 2017-07-08
Packaged: 2018-11-29 05:57:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11434587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TransAlex23/pseuds/TransAlex23
Summary: Just a simple one shot about Dan and Phil meeting while camping. Literally nothing but fluff and cuteness, so enjoy :)





	I Think I Like Camping Now

Crisp autumn air carried the smell of cider to my nose as I hung my arm out the window of the speeding Sudan. The smell turned bitter and was lost as it mixed with the stinging cold of the air and the smell of wet leaves crashed into the moist earth. I closed my eyes, silently praying to every religious figure imaginable that I would make it out of this camping trip alive. I hate camping with a burning bonfire passion, and my parents know that. They should after I spent the last three days refusing to speak to them or eat until they canceled the trip. Of course I made many midnight trips to the fridge, but still, I had to stand my ground. They pleaded that it would be a great family experience, bringing us closer to each other and nature. Whatever.

I opened my eyes when I heard the tires were no longer on asphalt, but crunching on a rocky dirt road. The campground sign was covered in trees and pictures of happy cartoon characters roasting marshmallows over sunset fires, others shaking hands with bears ten times more friendly looking than Smokey. We drove through the park at five miles an hour.  _ Five _ miles per hour? Are you kidding me? No. Without a word, I unbuckled my seatbelt, raised the lock on my door, and gracefully slipped out of the car. My mom tried to call me back in, but I shut the door and walked in the opposite direction. They knew I would meet them at the sight in the next three hours or so (as they were my ticket back home), so I kept walking. I’ve always been one to stray from my family, never being one to get interested in the activities they are, so it was no surprise to them that I wandered off without a word. So I plugged my earbuds in, turning the volume up almost all the way, and made my way towards a park close by. It was littered with leaves of sunset colors, reds oranges and yellows, not a spot of green left- my favourite part of Autumn. 

There were no kids, possibly too cold as it was late autumn, or because of the late hour. There was, however, someone sat on the steps of the red and yellow play structure, huddled in a warm black hoodie, face covered and book nuzzled close. I couldn’t make out any features, other than their rather twinkish figure, so I quietly made my way closer as I tried not to disturb the reader, intrigued by how engrossed they were in the novel. Once I was at the bottom of the steps, him at the top, not quite at the slide behind him, he still hadn’t spotted me. But I could make out his features. He had chocolate brown eyes, warm and calming. His fringe matched wonderfully, falling over his eyes but not too much to block his reading. His hands were wrapped in sweater paws, holding the book by the cover and having only his fingertips poking out to hold down the pages. He was beautiful, and I can’t imagine how the world hadn’t stopped altogether to observe his beauty. 

Making my way up the holed platform steps, he didn’t notice me until I was on the step below his feet, finally looking up from the seemingly intriguing novel. 

“Hey bookworm,” I said smartly, taking a seat next to him. I’ve always been overly confident, and I was intrigued when this didn’t scare him off like it had with many others. 

“Oh, hi,” he said, seeming tired from his bookish adventures. 

“What’s your name?”

“Dan.”

“Well, Dan,” I said, emphasizing his name and loving the way it sounded on my tongue, “what are you reading there?”

“To Kill a Mockingbird. Class assignment. It is quite good though,” he answered, taking a look at his now closed book, as if looking back on the adventure he’d just had inside it, before looking back at me.

“What’s your name?”

“Phil.”

“Phil,” he repeated, and I think I love the way my name sounds on his tongue even more. “So, Phil, what brings you here?”

“The campground or the park?” I asked, chuckling a bit. 

“Both,” he said, beginning to smile. Though it was subtle, his smile was enough to brighten the rest of my life.

“Well, my parents dragged me here, even though they know my hatred for camping, an-” 

“Woah, why don’t you like camping?” he interrupted, sounding quite offended. 

“It’s so dirty, and no showers, so when you get home you’re all filthy and it’s just ew. Plus I enjoy sitting in the comfort of my bed with my eyes glued to a computer much more than this,” I admitted. 

“Well, it looks like I’ll just have to help you like the outdoors.” A devious grin spread across his face as he stood, stretching his hand out for me to take. I obliged, and he pulled me up.

“What do you mean?” I said, though I had an idea. 

“Don’t worry, tumblr worm, you’ll see.” And before I knew it, I was being turned around and pushed down the winding lemon-yellow slide we had been sitting in front of. I didn’t even have time to react before I raced down the slick plastic and soon reached the bottom. 

“Watch out!” I jumped up just in time to see Dan and his feet hit the woodchip ground. “You’re lucky I wiped up the puddle of water that was there,” he said as he wiped off his black jeans, looking back up at me.

“Well, what now?” I’d lost all thoughts as to what he could be thinking, because I’ve just realised how unpredictable this boy is. 

“Follow me.” With that I was following a beautiful boy I had just met through a campground I didn’t even want to be at. Though if he was here, maybe it wouldn’t be too bad. We trekked along the rocky paths, passing many old couples around fires and young kids getting out their last bit of energy before bed. I watched as he had one hand in his jacket pocket, the other occupied by the book. His brown hair was now covered by a hood, as the wind had picked up and was now throwing leaves every which way. He seemed to know the place well, making it harder to keep up. It made me wonder if he’d been here before. 

“Dan, we’ve been walking forever, where are we going?” He let out a small laugh, just barely audible as the wind had carried it away. 

“We’ve been walking for two minutes, Phil,” he replied.

“Exactly, forever. I could have taught my grandma how to use the internet in that time. Where on earth are we going?” He breathed out a laughed, shook his head and kept walking, ignoring my pleading. 

Five years (or minutes, I couldn’t be sure) later, Dan finally stopped in his tracks, 

“Are we here now?” I asked, exhausted from the amount of exercise I did. 

“Yes,” was all he said before he looked at me and sat on a dirt covered picnic table bench. It wasn’t until then I noticed we were sat at a campsite. There was a metal bonfire ring, sounded by concrete that was kept in with a ring of a larger diameter. I wasn’t sure how I’d missed it, but I turned my head to see an enormous RV torwering over the rest of the site, followed by folded up chairs laid on the ground. 

“Is this your site?” I asked, covering my hand in the sleeve of my jacket and wiping off as much dirt as possible before sitting next to him. Okay, so maybe I  _ really _ don’t like dirt, but what’s wrong with that?

“Yup. Good old site three-two-three,” he said as if it were an inside joke we had. And maybe it was, a new secret joke that only we would know, and whenever it was spoken only we would know the true meaning. It would be more than a number on a wooden stake protruding out of the mossy ground. It would be this trip, and us. 

“So, what have you brought me to your site for? How is this going to make me like camping?” 

“Well, my friend, you’ll just have to wait and see.” With that, he held up a single digit to tell me to wait here, so I did. I waited and listened to him rustling inside the green tent, which seemed to be only big enough to fit two people. A moment later he returned with a flashlight, a can of bug spray, two water bottles and a backpack. 

“What’s that for?” I asked as he set the items down on the picnic table. 

“Stand up.” Without question, I did as I was told.

“Hold your breath and close your eyes so it doesn’t sting.” I obeyed again, and though my breath was held I heard and smelled the rustic bug spray coating my skin and clothing. 

“Turn around,” he said. Doing so I inhaled quickly, taking in a strong taste of the pungent and stinging spray that enveloped me. I did the same procedure to him, and soon we were reflective of insects and had a bag of “survival gear,” as Dan called it. 

“So, Dan, what are we going to do with this “Survival gear?”” I asked once he had me moving on the rocks again. 

“You’re so impatient. Can’t you just wait until we’re there?” He said, feigning annoyance. “Enjoy life- sit back, relax, and just move with the wind.”

“No, mom,” I said, acting as a child. We both broke out in fits of laughter that disrupted nearby campers, but we didn’t care, letting the wind warry our constant laughs through the trees as it wrestled more leaves from the branches. 

 

“Dan, what are we doing going into the woods? You’re going to kill me out here, aren't you? That was your plan from the start, to make friends with me and then bring me out here so you do god-knows-what with me,” I rambled as Dan brought me to the entrance of a trial in the forest. 

“Relax, it’s called a hike. More or less so since there’s no real terrain, so it’s more just a relaxing nighttime stroll,” he said casually. “And either way,  _ you  _ approached  _ me _ , so for all I know, you could be planning to kill  _ me. _ ”

“But  _ why? _ ” I asked, laughing at his true philosophy. 

“Because, you have to learn to like camping, and I know exactly how to do that,” he said, pulling me into the forest before I could object. Now I was walking with boy I just met in the middle of the woods at the brick of night. 

“Hey, how old are you anyway?” I asked, breaking the silence, as I realized I didn’t know. 

“Just turned sixteen. You?”

“Eighteen. You seem childish for your age,” I commented, not meaning it as an insult but a comment. 

“So do you, Mr. “Are We There Yet?”” He said a laugh. 

He brought me to the edge of the damp mossy forest, and for a moment before he moved, out eyes met. His warm mocha pupils mixed with my ocean ones. An odd mix that seemed wrong, but felt so right. He reached over to a branch and pulled it over before instructing me to close my eyes. Without hesitating, I did as I was told, and felt his hand take mine before carefully pulling me along. I didn’t need my eyes to feel the soft grass under my feet, or the cool night air on my face. I took a deep breath, feeling the cold stinging air course through my nose. 

“Okay, open,” he finally said, letting go of my hand. I took a look at the sight before me, and I was breathless. An open clearing with soft grass and cottony dandelions stood before me. A pond full of lily pads and cat tails was featured in the center, reflecting the soft glow of the moonlight to light up the beautiful scene. 

“Wow,” was all I could mutter. I looked at him and he had his bottom lip delicately pulled in between his teeth. 

“Yeah, it’s pretty amazing.” He spoke quietly, as if not to disturb the peace. “I found it last year when my family came here.” I was speechless; I’d never seen anything so beautiful. 

“Lost for words, are you?” he said with a grin. I chuckled and nodded before looking up at the sky. The moon casted a warm spotlight on the earth, the rest of the scene illuminated by subtle stars that faded quickly into nothingness. 

“Hey, come over here,” Dan said, jerking his head in a “come here” motion. I followed him over to some large mossy rocks on the edge of the pond, witting atop the one next to him. 

“This is so beautiful,” I finally said.

“Yeah, I couldn’t believe my eyes when I found it. I’m glad it’s still here.” It was silent then, the only sounds being those of a symphony played by crickets and the wind on the land. Serenity enveloped me, and I’d never felt more at peace. But soon the warm moon eyes were covered with blurry clouds that casted raindrop tears on us, one after another until the sky was sobbing. 

“Let’s get out of here!” Dan said, jumping off the rock and taking my hand, running off with me like he was trying to take me away from reality-  _ and maybe he had. _

The rain was diminished by the leaves and branches, but continued to splatter around us. Our feet stormed through the fresh mud puddles and coated our shoes and pant legs in watery mud. After moments of running, we immerged through the forest path, my feet making contact with familiar rocks. We stopped for a moment to catch our breath, and I took a look around. The fires were out, the couples in tents or campers, and children tucked in to be woken by warm sun rays. This place seemed so bleak compared to where we had just been. It seemed like a dream now. I wanted to get away from this reality and get back to the fantasy world Dan had taken me to. 

“Hey, we should get out of this rain,” Dan said, taking me out of my thoughts. I agreed and we walked in silence to his camper. It was rather large, being the biggest R.V. I have ever seen. Dan must have seen my astonishment because he laughed and spoke up. “Yeah, we go camping quite a bit. Come on inside. My parents and brother took their bikes to visit the zoo across the road, though I bet they’ll be back soon.” I followed him into the R.V., which seemed like a small home. It had bunkbeds and a queen sized bed for sleeping, a rather large kitchen with granite counters, and a medium sized dining table. There were two chairs and a small love seat in front of a television that hung over an electric fireplace.

“Hey, wanna play a game of cards?” Dan asked, sitting up at the dining table.

“Yeah, sounds good.” And as I watched him shuffle the deck, I couldn’t help but say what I was thinking. “Hey, Dan?” He looked up at me. “I think I like camping now.” He smiled a beauty pageant smile, leaning across the table to kiss my cheek lightly. I could see his cheeks filling with a delicate blush, and he looked even more beautiful with the rosy colour on his smooth skin. I smirked and watched him pass out the cards, and we spent our time in a comfortable silence I could never get tired of. 

_ Yeah, I definitely like camping now. _

 

 

 

 

 

_ * Quick P.S. if you read my note- I did completely run out of words, so it was rushed and not as meaningful as I wanted it to be, but please just remember to take some deep breaths, message me if you ever need to, and I promise everything is going to be okay. I love you so much, and until next time ^-^ _

**Author's Note:**

> Hia! I've really missed you ^-^ How have you been? Anything exciting happen recently? If you're still in school, are you on summer holiday? Or have you graduated? If you have, congratulations! Or if you haven't, congratulations for anything else you might have done! If you haven't done anything, congratulations for living, because it's going to be worth it some day- I promise :)  
> So here's my explanation for not posting forever this time- I, for the life of me, have had no clue what in the world to talk about. I've already covered the most prominent problems on other stories, things like self harm and depression and just mental illness in general. But my brain has been awful lately, and I've been having a hard time figuring out what to talk about. i still don't know, so this entire note is off the top of my head. I apologize in advance.  
> But, on that note, I have a request- if you ever, and I mean ever, think of a topic you would like me to talk about- whether it's anxiety or mental illness or self confidence or school or literally anything except politics because I hate politics- please please please let me know! I would love to involve you more and I would absolutely love trying to help and give any help and opinion I can on any subject :) So if you ever have anything you want me to talk about, or even a story idea ( ;) ) I would really appreciate hearing it :)
> 
> Okay, so, what to talk about what to talk about...  
> So, I know there are lots of times when you might break down. This could mean full on screaming and crying breath that you just can't control, or just having to stop and cry. And either is okay- it really is. I'ts okay to have moments when everything just seems like too much, and you just have to stop and let it happen. it's okay. This can be a panic attack or a depressive episode or simply you just need to cry. It happens, and it's okay, because I know there can be so much going on that everything can just pile up and suffocate you. It happens to the best of us, and it is 100% acceptable. But here's the important thing- and I've said it before- picking yourself back up afterword. And yes, I know that's much easier said than done. But I promise it will get easier as time passes and it happens more, or hopefully less. 
> 
> So, here are things that you can possibly do to help you pick yourself back up after something like this happens~
> 
> 1\. Get a warm drink and a snack. Warm drinks are knows for their magical abilities to solve virtually any problem, and I would highly recommend in investing in one after a hard time. This can be coffee, tea, or if you're like me, hot chocolate. You can also get a snack, because they're nice, and it can be whatever you want- ice cream, crackers, carrots, literally anything you like that might make you happy and put you at ease.  
> 2\. Relax. It's important after something as stressful and draining as a breakdown, as we'll call it, to take it easy and relax. You can either take a nap or go to bed, or you can just have a seat with your drink and snack and watch something nice. Whether this is your favourite TV show, your favourite YouTuber, or anything else, it doesn't matter, You can just sit back and relax with any kind of show that might make you smile :)  
> 3\. Just do something you love. After something that may have upset you, whether it made you sad or mad or anything else, it's good to go something that will simply put you at ease and make you happy. You can do a puzzle or colour or play an instrument or listen to music or do anything else that will make you happy, no matter how small it is.  
> 4\. Talk to someone. Sometimes this doesn't help everyone, and that's okay, but it's also really good to talk to someone about what upset you so you can get it out- it can really help. Just take some deep breaths, find your happy place, realize it's over, and let it out. You can talk to your parents or your friend or anyone else. Heck, you can talk to me. I would absolutely love to help in any way i can. My instagram is gay_aesthetic23 my tumblr is anxiousthighs and my kik is katpotato3. And I mean it when I say you are free to message me anywhere at any time to talk about LITERALLY anything. If I don't answer it's because I'm sleeping, but other than that I'll answer as soon as possible. You can just say "Hey I need you're help" or "hey can we talk" or anything else, and I'd love to talk.
> 
> Okay, last thing- I've been thinking of making this a like a "series" of one shots, just simple little things, so it would be super cool if you left any suggestions you have for stories. It can literally be anything, and you can just say fluff or smut or someone dies and I'll try to make it happen. So yeah, thank you so much :)
> 
> Don't forget to take care of yourself, remember that I absolutely love you so much, and I'm always here- just a message away. So take some deep breaths, think of some happy thoughts, and I promise its okay


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